Written Answers Wednesday 26 March 2008

Scottish Executive

Buildings

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times in the last five years a building listed by Historic Scotland has been de-listed and what the reason was in each case.

Linda Fabiani: In the last five years 354 buildings have been removed from the Scottish ministers lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. Two hundred of these have been removed because they no longer met the criteria for listing. Ninety-six had been demolished. Thirty-four were scheduled monuments and the separate designation of listing was not found necessary. Eighteen subjects had been listed twice (mostly bridges previously listed in two different boundary areas). Three had been destroyed by fire or other severe damage. Three were reduced by court or by parliamentary contract.

  Delisting occurs when a building no longer possesses the necessary special architectural or historic interest to satisfy set criteria. The criteria are broadly age and rarity, architectural and historic interest, and close historical association. The criteria may no longer be satisfied if, for example, there was unauthorised work, fire damage, loss of features or context, collapse, new understanding of the importance of the structure within its building type, or where under different legislations, there is overlap of listing and scheduling. Historic Scotland endeavours to remove overlap, leaving a single designation where appropriate.

  Each case is considered against set criteria and if an insufficient case can be made for its retention following consultation as appropriate then a subject will be removed from the list.

Enterprise

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) revenue and (b) capital funding will be transferred to each local authority in each of the next three financial years from Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to support their new responsibilities for local economic regeneration.

Jim Mather: Details of the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of local economic regeneration including the associated funding resources, are still under discussion with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. I expect this process to be concluded very shortly and intend that the details should be announced thereafter.

Further and Higher Education

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning’s announcement on 9 March 2008 of additional investment in colleges and universities, what the breakdown will be of the £10 million being allocated to colleges to allow for further strategic investment in key priority areas.

Fiona Hyslop: The allocation of this additional investment of £20 million, £10 million for universities and £10 million for colleges, is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council.

  The council expects to make a full announcement on the breakdown of the £10 million allocation to colleges in April 2008. However, I understand that allocations will be made to all colleges to support young people who need more choices and more chances, to support improved articulation and to support innovative approaches to learning delivery.

Local Income Tax

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much council tax will have to be replaced in the first year of a nationally set local income tax.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government published a paper on 18 March 2008 detailing revenue projections for council tax and local income tax. This is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45130).

Local Income Tax

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much a 1p nationally set local income tax would raise.

John Swinney: Assuming a local income tax was to be introduced in 2011-12 a 1p nationally set local income tax, based on earned income, is estimated to raise £525 million.

Local Income Tax

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a nationally set local income tax would raise £1.7 billion in its first year.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government published a paper on 18 March 2008 detailing revenue projections for a local income tax. This is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45130).

Medication

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for nervous system depressants, such as Valium and Xanax, have been issued through the NHS since these drugs were made available and what the total cost to the NHS has been each year, broken down by drug.

Shona Robison: It is not possible to provide the information in the format requested. Information on nervous system depressant drugs prescribed by NHSScotland is published by NHS National Services Scotland on the Scottish Health Statistics website at www.isdscotland.org/prescribing .

  Drugs associated with the nervous system are categorised by the British National Formulary (BNF) as section 4.1 – Hypnotics and Anxiolytics and section 4.2 – Drugs used in psychoses and other related illnesses. Details of the prescribing of these two sections of the BNF since the financial year ending 31 March 1993 can be found at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/3754.html.

  The data given in tables 8 and 9 for section 4.1, and 9 and 10 for section 4.2 refer to prescriptions dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors but do not include medicines dispensed in hospitals or hospital-based clinics. The cost given is that before addition of any pharmacy fees and deduction of any discount and patient charges.

Medication

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for Adderall and Ritalin have been issued through the NHS since these drugs were made available and what the total cost has been to the NHS in each year.

Shona Robison: The following tables show the number of prescribed items and gross ingredient cost for methylphenidate hydrochloride including Ritalin for the financial years ending 31 March 1996 to 2007. Adderall is not licensed for use in the UK. The data given refer to items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors but do not include medicines dispensed in hospitals or hospital-based clinics. The cost given is that before addition of any pharmacy fees and deduction of any discount and patient charges.

  Number of Prescribed Items – Year Ended 31 March

  

 Drug Name
 1996
 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001


 Equasym
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 340


 Methyphenidate Hydrochloride
 673
 1,899
 4,286
 7,393
 11,157
 1,611


 Ritalin
 906
 3,012
 5,106
 6,959
 8,168
 20,433


 Tranquilyn
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Concerta XL
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Equasym XL
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Medikinet
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Methylphenidate Hydrochloride MR
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Total
 1,579
 4,911
 9,392
 14,352
 19,325
 22,384



  Number of Prescribed Items – Year Ended 31 March (Continued)

  

 Drug Name
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007


 Equasym
 1,840
 5,205
 5,655
 4,418
 5,317
 7,159


 Methyphenidate Hydrochloride
 2,247
 841
 446
 6,210
 7,479
 8,375


 Ritalin
 20,753
 16,624
 12,652
 7,753
 6,060
 4,201


 Tranquilyn
 0
 99
 628
 218
 0
 0


 Concerta XL
 23
 6,103
 11,987
 15,644
 18,406
 21,008


 Equasym XL
 1
 0
 0
 3
 1,038
 4,198


 Medikinet
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1


 Methylphenidate Hydrochloride MR
 22
 1,404
 3,342
 3,642
 3,510
 3,797


 Total
 24,886
 30,276
 34,710
 37,888
 41,810
 48,739



  Gross Ingredient Cost (£) - Year Ended 31 March

  

 Drug Name
 1996
 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001


 Equasym
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 4,409


 Methyphenidate Hydrochloride
 9,368
 28,102
 69,302
 132,839
 214,505
 26,297


 Ritalin
 13,535
 47,133
 81,856
 119,665
 143,714
 397,080


 Tranquilyn
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Concerta XL
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Equasym XL
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Medikinet
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Methylphenidate Hydrochloride MR
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Total
 22,903
 75,235
 151,158
 252,503
 358,219
 427,786



  Gross Ingredient Cost (£) - Year Ended 31 March (Continued)

  

 Drug Name
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007


 Equasym
 29,349
 71,032
 73,302
 53,779
 66,748
 85,965


 Methyphenidate Hydrochloride
 23,872
 8,526
 7,793
 103,948
 113,871
 111,805


 Ritalin
 424,598
 346,197
 253,189
 155,278
 121,425
 80,403


 Tranquilyn
 0
 1,414
 8,932
 3,059
 0
 0


 Concerta XL
 939
 291,173
 607,800
 812,445
 979,330
 1,150,211


 Equasym XL
 37
 0
 0
 142
 44,963
 182,960


 Medikinet
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 40


 Methylphenidate Hydrochloride MR
 1,746
 68,185
 160,412
 187,871
 185,126
 201,610


 Total
 480,542
 786,527
 1,111,428
 1,316,523
 1,511,462
 1,812,994



  Notes:

  1. Excludes prescriptions which were written in England or were unknown.

  2. Figures for years ending 31 March 1999 and 2000 have been slightly revised over previously published figures due to improved coding of individual medicines on the data source.

  The information in the tables has been provided by NHS National Services Scotland.

Medication

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what follow-up requirements there are for NHS patients who have been prescribed antidepressants.

Shona Robison: Following guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence evidence based guidelines are followed by NHSScotland on treating depression, including steps for reviewing medication. Further guidance was published in 2007 on standards for integrated care pathways for those with depression.

  Good clinical practice suggests that patients prescribed antidepressants should be offered a follow up assessment with their doctor after four to six weeks.

  After further review if no improvement is shown the medication should be reconsidered, changed or stopped. Otherwise reviews should continue six-monthly. Any alternative medication prescribed during these periods will be subject to similar reviews.

  We are committed to increasing the availability of alternatives to medicine including evidence based psychological therapies and are also working with partners to increase the numbers within the workforce of those trained to deliver psychological therapy alternatives.

Medication

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessments are made of NHS patients (a) prior to being prescribed antidepressants and (b) while they are receiving antidepressant treatment and what follow-up there is for patients who have completed their course of antidepressant treatment.

Shona Robison: Our published commitment is to work with GPs so that new patients with depression receive a formal assessment using a standardised tool. Where assessment shows medication is an appropriate care option this will be offered. This approach is entirely consistent with advice from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence which also provides guidance on reviewing medication.

  In December last year we published guidance on standards for integrated care pathways for treating those with depression, which together with generic guidance address all aspects from assessment to recovery.

  We are working with all partners to increase the availability of evidence-based psychological therapies to provide further realistic and accessible alternative care options. Attention to alternatives supports delivery of the NHS target to reduce the annual rate of increase in antidepressant prescribing to zero by 2010 and by a further 10% in the years beyond.

  As part of their response to this target NHS boards are considering antidepressant prescription reviews to inform considered alternatives while maintaining access to medication for those likely to benefit.

Medication

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that antidepressants are overprescribed and, if so, what steps it is taking to address this issue.

Shona Robison: From work undertaken as part of the Doing Well by People with Depression Programme we know that some patients are prescribed antidepressants in which they are unlikely to have therapeutic benefit. Similarly, we know that other patients who would benefit are not prescribed antidepressants.

  We are working with clinicians to ensure best practice is followed and that antidepressants are appropriately prescribed.

Planning

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9499 by Linda Fabiani on 3 March 2008, whether it will provide details of the planning applications referred to and the grounds on which Historic Scotland objected to or recommended call-in in each case.

Linda Fabiani: The information requested is set out in the following table. If any further details are required about any of the cases listed, the member might wish to contact Historic Scotland directly.

  

 Name
 Local Authority
 Type
 Application Summary
Reason for Objection/Call in
 Outcome
 Date


 Deveron Terrace 
 Aberdeen-shire
 NID/PA
 Erection of a large sports centre 
 HS considered that the development would have a negative impact on the historic designed setting of the Duff House, an A-listed Property in the Care of Scottish Ministers.
 PP Granted
 25/06/07


 Little Law Wind Turbines 
 Perth and Kinross
 PA
 Erection of 14 wind turbines at Little Law, Auchterarder.
 HS considered that the location of 7 of the turbines would have a significant adverse impact on the setting of St John’s Hill, enclosure, a prehistoric earthwork which is scheduled as being a monument of national importance.
 PP Refused
 08/08/07


 Merranblo Wind Turbines 
 Orkney Islands
 PA
 Erection of three wind turbines on Merranblo Hill, Orkney. 
 HS considered that the erection of the wind turbines would have a detrimental impact on the setting of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, an internationally important grouping of neolithic monuments, including the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and Maes Howe, all scheduled monuments in the care of Scottish Ministers.
 Pending
 -


 14 Kilgraston Rd, Edinburgh
 City of Edinburgh
 LBC Call-in
 Retrospective application for consent to carry out major works of alteration to a B-listed house of the 1930s designed by Robert Matthew, an important 20th Century architect. 
 HS considered that the works seriously affected the character of the building and called into question its continued status as a listed building.
 LBC Refused
 03/07/07


 The Fleece Inn, Selkirk 
 Scottish Borders
 LBC Call-in
 Proposal to alter a window to form a door at a B-listed 19th Century hotel in the centre of Selkirk. 
 HS considered the works would have compromised the character of this prominent building within the Conservation Area.
 LBC Refused
 20/12/05


 58-60 Kingston Street, Glasgow
 Glasgow City
 LBC Call-in
 Proposed demolition of a B-listed warehouse still in use to build new flats as part of a wider regeneration masterplan for Tradeston. 
 HS considered that demolition was not justified and would have resulted in the loss of a very distinctive listed building. 
 LBC Refused
 08/02/07


 7-15 Albert Street 
 Aberdeen City
 LBC Call-in
 Application for a large addition to the rear of the B-listed terraced properties in a conservation area.
 HS considered that the visual impact of the addition would fail to preserve the listed terrace or its setting, or the character and appearance of the conservation area. 
 LBC Refused
 21/12/07

Rail Network

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive why the decision was taken to fund the Borders rail project through the non-profit distributing model instead of traditional funding methods.

Stewart Stevenson: The use of non-profit distribution (NPD) funding models offer maximum value for money and flexibility for a project of this nature.

Scottish Futures Trust

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any projects will be started during 2008-09 using the Scottish Futures Trust as the method of financing.

John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust is currently under development. An announcement on further developments will be made when we are ready to inform the Parliament.